Optically pumped optical gain fibers require pump light to be injected into the gain fiber. High-powered gain fibers require high-power pump sources. One pump-source configuration includes a plurality of laser bars (each having a plurality of diode lasers) and beam-shaping optics in a single metal enclosure package. LIMO GmbH of Dortmund, Germany (e.g., see www.limo.de/en/laserpump.php) is one source of such laser-diode pump modules, which are offered in a variety of pump powers, pump wavelengths, and output fiber characteristics. In some such pump blocks, laser light from a plurality of laser-diode bars is combined using one or more beam shapers (such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,416,237, 6,421,178, 6,471,372, 6,985,586, 7,027,228, 7,035,014, 7,075,739, and 7,085,062, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference)
There is a need for systems and methods that provide more efficient and cost-effective coupling of pump light to a gain fiber and coupling of signal light from the gain fiber.